Author Archives: hksar gov

     In view of the cold weather, the Home Affairs Department has opened 18 temporary shelters today (February 19) for people in need of the service.

     The temporary shelters will remain open during the daytime tomorrow (February 20) when the Cold Weather Warning is still in force.

     To ensure that cold shelter users can rest in a quiet and undisturbed environment, members of the public or agencies wishing to make donations to shelter users are requested to register with the staff of the shelter first. Donors will then be directed to place the donated items at a specified indoor location. The staff will help notify the shelter users to collect the items on their own.

     Anyone seeking temporary refuge or with any questions about the donation arrangements at the cold shelters may call the department’s hotline 2572 8427 for more information.

     In light of the implementation of mandatory use of the “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile application when entering government premises, all persons are required to use the app to scan the venue QR code before they are allowed to enter temporary cold shelters, except for exempted persons (including persons who are aged below 12 or aged 65 or above, persons with disabilities that render use of the app difficult and persons without smartphones). All exempted persons are required to complete a prescribed form to register their personal particulars, contact phone number and the date and time of entry. The staff will verify the information provided.

     The 18 temporary cold shelters are located at:

Hong Kong Island:
——————–

Central and Western:
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex, 2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun

Eastern:
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay

Southern:
Wah Kwai Community Centre
Wah Kwai Estate, Kellett Bay

Wan Chai:
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai

Kowloon:
——————

Kowloon City:
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices, 42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom

Kwun Tong:
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin

Sham Shui Po:
Nam Cheong District Community Centre
1 Cheong San Lane, Sham Shui Po

Wong Tai Sin:
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan

Yau Tsim Mong:
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei

New Territories:
—————-

Islands:
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building, 39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung

Kwai Tsing:
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung

North:
North District Community Centre
2 Lung Wan Street, Sheung Shui

Sai Kung:
Chi Shin Activity Centre
G/F, Tseung Kwan O South Ancillary Facilities Block
5 Chi Shin Street, Tseung Kwan O

Sha Tin:
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin

Tai Po:
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po

Tsuen Wan:
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan

Tuen Mun:
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun

Yuen Long:
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long read more

     To alleviate the demand pressure for the ambulance service of Fire Services Department (FSD) and to facilitate early admission of persons tested positive for COVID-19 but with no or mild symptoms to the community isolation facilities (CIF), the Transport and Housing Bureau (THB) has liaised with trades of non-franchised bus as well as public light bus to set up a designated bus fleet to provide assistance. About 200 light and medium-sized buses will participate and the fleet size will be adjusted according to the actual demand. The FSD will flexibly deploy departmental resources and coordinate with the designated fleet to transport relevant persons to the CIF.
      
     Starting from February 21, when persons tested positive for COVID-19 can be transferred to the CIF as advised by the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health, the FSD will divert cases to the designated bus fleet for transporting the relevant persons from their residences to the designated CIF. Upon the FSD’s confirmation on the details of transfer with the persons, the drivers of the designated bus fleet will liaise with the persons to arrange transport services.    
      
     A Government spokesman said, “We will provide to the operators and drivers of the designated fleet with anti-epidemic guidelines. Drivers of the designated fleet must wear protective equipment, including protective face shields (while not driving), masks and protective gowns, and fully disinfect the compartments every day and perform a daily rapid antigen test before providing services. Only those who have tested negative for the virus can provide these services. The designated fleet will only transport relevant persons to the designated CIF, and will not provide other services. Specific labels will be affixed on the bus bodies for public identification (see Annex).”
      
     The Government thanks the trades for organising the designated fleet service and providing safe and reliable transport services in this difficult time, contributing immensely to the anti-epidemic efforts. read more

     A Government spokesman announced today (February 19) that the supply of fresh food from the Mainland remained steady yesterday (February 18).        According to the latest information, the throughput volume of… read more

     The Legal Aid Department today (February 19) announced that its Civil Litigation Section (2) office on the ninth floor of Queensway Government Offices will resume service at 9.30am on February 21 (Monday) after thorough cl… read more

     The Government exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a “restriction-testing declaration” on February 17 with effect from 7pm, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Sham Shui Po (i.e. Mei Wui House, Shek Kip Mei Estate, Sham Shui Po, excluding the podium level) were required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. The Government yesterday (February 18) extended the period of operation to today (February 19). Persons subject to compulsory testing were required to stay in their premises and undergo two tests under the designated arrangement until all such persons identified in the “restricted area” had undergone testing and the test results were mostly ascertained. In addition, any person who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from February 4 to February 17, even if they were not present in the “restricted area” at the time when the declaration took effect, must undergo compulsory testing on or before February 19, 2022. The Government finished the compulsory testing exercise at around 10am today and carried out enforcement action in the “restricted area” afterwards to verify that all people in the “restricted area” had undergone compulsory testing in accordance with the requirements of the relevant declaration and compulsory testing notice. The Government announced that the enforcement operation ended at around noon today.
 
     In this exercise, the Housing Department, the Hong Kong Police Force and the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office of the Department of Health mobilised around 380 staff to arrange for implementation of the declaration and enforcement actions for breaches of the compulsory testing notice issued earlier.
 
     The Government also delivered food pack, including canned food and instant noodles, to persons subject to compulsory testing to facilitate their meal arrangements.
 
     The Housing Department set up a hotline for people restricted by the declaration to make enquiries and seek assistance.
 
     The Government thanks persons subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding. With everyone’s co-operation and efforts, coupled with the tireless efforts of the testing contractors, residents have been informed about their testing results by SMS notification. After finishing the compulsory testing exercise at around 10am today, the Government took enforcement action in the “restricted area” immediately to verify that all people in the “restricted area” had undergone testing according to the requirements of the declaration and the compulsory testing notice. Persons who could present an SMS notification containing a negative test result as proof of having undergone the compulsory testing could leave the “restricted area” through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer. The enforcement operation was completed at around noon. Test records of about 180 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. Nobody was found to have not undergone compulsory testing. Taking into account the above situation, the Secretary for Food and Health revoked the “restriction-testing declaration” in accordance with Cap. 599J (see attachment).


     The Government reminded the households who have not answered the door to contact the Government for arrangement of testing as soon as possible after reading the notices put up by the Government, in the hope of eliminating the possible risk of further spread of the virus in the community.
 
     The Government thanks all participating government staff and the testing agencies for their hard work. The Government is also grateful to those subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding, and their full co-operation during this period in undergoing testing and waiting for the results at home.
 
     The Government will seriously follow up on the compliance situation of the compulsory testing notices and the “restriction-testing declaration” by persons subject to compulsory testing. Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be liable to a fixed penalty of $10,000. The person will also be issued with a compulsory testing order, requiring him or her to undergo testing within a specified time frame. Failure to comply with the order or the “restriction-testing declaration” is an offence and the offender may be liable to a fine of level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.  read more